Frozen dessert products of the smooth, creamy texture (e.g. ice cream, frozen custards, ice milk, etc.) require a delicate balance of formulated ingredients to achieve the preceived coldness, melt-down, mouthfeel, taste and textural characteristics normally expected of a high quality frozen dessert product. Most frozen dessert products extensively rely upon dairy products. The early frozen dessert products were primarily prepared from cream with the cream providing the basic ingredients (milk protein, sugar, butterfat, emulsifiers and stabilizer, etc. system) for the frozen dessert recipe. Although these early recipes have been changed, most frozen dessert manufacturers still rely upon dry milk solids and butterfat as basic ingredients.
In the earlier frozen dessert products, disaccharides (lactose and sucrose) were the primary sweetening agents. Subsequently, low-cost 36 and 42 D.E. corn syrups were used as supplementary sweetener additives in frozen dessert recipes. By mid 1960, crystalline dextrose was extensively used with sucrose and the 36 and 42 D.E. corn syrups in the manufacture of frozen dessert products.
In 1967, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) containing approximately 42% fructose and 50-52% dextrose became commercially available. By appropriately combining the 36 and 42 D.E. corn syrups, these 42% HFCS were effectively formulated into frozen dessert recipes. More recently, the HFCS manufacturers have introduced corn syrups of a 55-60% and 90% fructose content.
Substantial changes in the physical, organoleptical and textural properties arise from recipes formulated with these 55% and higher HFCS. The delicate balance of conventional recipe components needed for the desired freezing point, melt-down, preception of coldness, taste, mouthfeel and smooth, creamy textural characteristics are not achieved. The higher fructose content excessively depresses the dessert product freezing point. At conventional frozen dessert freezing temperatures, these 55%+HFCS dessert formulations remain soft. Such soft products are impractical for many commercial adaptations. Redesign of the manufacturing equipment and facilities, the dispensing equipment, distribution system or storage facilities to compensate for the freezing temperature depression is impractical.
Conventional dessert recipes formulated with high fructose corn syrups of 55% or higher fructose also have inferior melt-down characteristics. Such frozen products melt more rapidly (at normal serving temperatures) than the conventional recipes. These accelerated melt-down characteristics render these products impractical for cone servings. Moreover, frozen desserts formulated with excessive fructose provide a dessert product which is preceived as being much colder than conventional products.
References pertaining to the use of fructose in frozen dessert recipes include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,335,013 by Wolfmeyer, 4,146,652 by Kahn et al. and 3,236,658 by Little and Seminar Proceedings Products of the Corn Refining Industry in Food, Corn Refiners Association, Inc., May 9, 1978. The Wolfmeyer patent discloses a frozen dessert recipe in which the sweetener additive consisted essentially of about 30 to 70% maltose, 10 to 40% dextrose and 3.5-20% levulose in conjunction with 10-40% penta- and higher polysaccharides. The levulose source is identified as invert syrups. The sweetener portion of Wolfmeyer additive is similar to conventional frozen dessert recipes in that it primarily relies upon disaccharides (e.g. maltose) as the principal sweetening component. The Wolfmeyer sweetening additive is combined with a basic ice cream formula of approximately 10% fat, approximately 10% non-fat milk solids, 0.3% stabilizer and emulsifier, with the balance being water.
The Little patent discloses a frozen dessert which contains approximately 8 to 13% by weight fructose and relies extensively upon protective colloids and gum stabilizers (e.g. carboxymethyl cellulose, Irish moss extract, locust bean gum, etc.). The Little frozen dessert sweetener portion consists of lactose and fructose and is especially designed for use by diabetics. Atypical of conventional frozen dessert products which normally contain (on a total non-fat solids basis) at least 70% by weight fermentable sugars, the Little formulation contains less than 60% fermentable sugars. The low sweetening agent concentration reportedly slightly depresses the freezing temperature.
The Kahn et al. patentees disclose a whipped dessert formulated with 15 to 45% water, sugar in a ratio to water of 1-2:1, about 2.5 to 30% fat and a sweetening agent portion comprised of fructose and dextrose at a concentration of at least 50% by weight of the total sugar. The 42% HFCS are mentioned as a dextrose and fructose source. The dessert products reportedly remain soft and spoonable at 10.degree. F. The formulation, freezing temperature and melt-down characteristics of the Kahn et al. dessert products are unsuited for ice cream or ice milk applications.